seiner



A. L. REINER.

CORING MACHINE AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.6. Isls.

l l 94,233 Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. L. REINER. comm; MACHINE AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.6. II. l 1 94,233 Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

UNTTE@ STATES PATENT ETllOl.

ANDREW L. REINER, OF HIGHLAND, IN DIAN, ASSIGNOR TO LIBBY, MCNEILL & LIBBY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

CORING--MACHINE AND THE LIKE.

Application filed December 6, 1915.

To all whom 25 may concern:

. Be it known that I, ANDREW L. Reinier., a citizen. of the United States, residing at Highland, Lake county, Indiana, have in# vented certain new and useful lmprove-` ments in Golfing-Machines and the like, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has reference to improvements in machines for slicing the cores of vegetables or fruit, such as cab'- bages and the like.

The features of the invention are very useful in connection with machines for slicing the cores of cabbages during the preparation of said cabbages for the manufac ture of sauer-krant, but it will be understood that the features of the invent-ion are in nowise limited to this particular work.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a machine of such construction that it may be very conveniently manipulated, and in this connection to'provide a machine which may be moved toward `and from the cabbage or other articles with great facility. This will make it possible for the operator to support the cabbage on a table or the like, and effect the coring operation by moving the coring machine into engagement with the stationary cabbage. 1

Another object of the invention isto pro-A vide a power driven machine of such construction that the power may be conven-V iently applied directly to each individual machine, as by means of a motor as distinguished from a construction in which a number of machines are driven by power from a common source. In this connection, an object is to so combine the motor with the cutting portion of the machine that the parts will bear a peculiar and desirable relationship to each other.

Other objects and uses will appear from a detailed description of the invention which `consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 shows aside elevation of the completedl machine, a portion ofthe suspension spring being broken away, and the lower portion of the machine being in section so as to reveal the interior construction; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the are Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Serial No. 65,296.

rows; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the clutch mechanism; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

l will first describe the cutting device and the adjacent parts and will thereafter describe the driving mechanism, the clutch, and the suspension.

In the lower portion of the machine, there is provided a ring member 5 to which `are securely fastened the vertical arms or rods 6. These may be of any suitable number, but, for purposes of convenience, I have illustrated three of them. The lower end of each rod 6 terminates in a sharpened point 7 which may be struck into the cabbage or other article 8, so that the points serve to center the ring at the location where it is desired to perform the coring operation. The shaft 9 extends vertically upward from the central portion of the ring, and enters the clutch box presently to be described. Onto the lower end of said shaft, there may be connected a pointed cutting device 10, thelower end of which is provided with a'spiral, thread l1 which firmly grips and holds the material of the cabbage', or other article. This cutting device is also provided with the upper and lower blades 12 and 13y respectively, which sweep a diameter only slightly less than that of the ring 5. The threaded point 11 tends to draw the cutting device down into the body of the cabbage, the blades A152 and 13 simultaneously cutting thematerial of the cabbage, so that said material will rise as a helical slice or strip.

The motor let may be of any Ysuitable construction, but is preferably a shunt motor, orrone having similar characteristics. This motor is suspended by a spring 15 from a stationary hook 1G, the spring being` of sufflcient strength to normally hold the motor and connected parts in suspended position.

For purposes of convenience, I have shown with the caps or stops 19 which limit their movement with respect to the arms. A spring 20 interposed between the motor and the ring 5 tends to move the ring away from the motor and to draw the rods 6 down through the arms 18 until limited by said caps or stops. This is the position which is normally occupied by the ring.

When the machine is to be used, the cabbage is placed in position, and then the machine is pressed down, thereby distending the spring 15 until the points 7 have been forced into the material of the cabbage and until such movement is limited by the engagement or the ring 5 against the cabbage. This will center the ring at the proper point. Upon further lowering the motor, the spring 20 will be compressed and the threads 11 will bite into the material of the cabbage so as to draw the cutting device down into the same. Thereafter the cutting operation will proceed continuously, the motor being drawn down as rapidly as the cutting device enters the body of the cabbage, and the spring 15 continuing to extend. In the meantime, the spring 2O will be closing up.

In order to permit the cutting device to remain normally stationary notwithstanding the continuous operation of the motor, and 1n order to bring said cutting device automatically into operation when the cutting device comes into engagement with the cabbage, I have provided a clutch member 21 between the motor and the shaft 9. This clutch device is shown in detail in Fig. 3. It includes a casing 22 threaded or otherwise secured to the lower end 23 of the motor frame. The casing 22 is hollow and contains the various clutch elements. The motor shaft 24 terminates adjacent to the clutch device, and a bevel gear 25 is drivingly connected to the motor shaft, and rotates continuously. This bevel gear is shown as having an elon- -v gated sleeve or neck 2G which, in turn, is

provided with the annular groove 27. The pin 28 seats into saidv annular groove, and thereby prevents the bevel gear from working up and down with respect to the motor. Another bevel gear 29 is meshed with the gear 25 and a reverse gear 30 is meshed with the gear 29. The reverse gear will rotate in a direction opposite to that of the gear 25 and opposite to the direction of motor rotation. As a convenient form of construction, I mount the gear 29 on a stud 31, which stud,

Y in turn, is carried by a cap 32 which closes a side opening of the casing 22. By removing said cap, not only is the gear 29 removed, so that it can be inspected or replaced, but also a large opening is provided into the interior of the casing, so that the other elements can be conveniently inspected. The shaft 9 is permitted a certain amount of sliding movement up and down with respect to the casing The gear 30 in this case is provided with anV upstanding flange 33 which is drivingly connectcd to said gear. iange is rotatably mounted a collar 34 which, in turn, is feather-keyed or splined to the shaft 9 by the spline 35. The collar 34 carries a split ring 36 which is secured to said collar at its central portion 37, and'is there- Y by enabled to'drive the collar. The split portions of said ring are tapered and a wedge-shaped key 38 operates between said tapered end portions. This wedge-shaped key is pivoted to the collar 34 at the point 39 and rotates with the same. The shaft 9 carries a cam block 40 which works against the upper end of the wedge block 38, so that when the shaft 9 is drawn down, the cam block 40 will throw the wedge 38 outward, thus expanding the split ring and causing the saine to take hold of the iiange 33. Thus the shaft will be locked to the gear 30 and will thereby ybe driven in a reverse direction. The gear 25 is provided with asimilar construction, whereby the cam block il will clutch the shaft 9 to the gear 25 when said shaft is forced upward, thus driving the shaft in the forward direction.

From the foregoing description, it will appear that, as soon as the motor is forcedV down by the operator, the engagement of the cutting device against the cabbage will move the shaft 9 sufliciently to bring the proper clutch into engagement for forward rotation. However, after the cabbage core has been sliced, the motor is allowed to rise, and there will be a downward pull on the shaft 9 which will cause the engagement of the reverse clutch, so that the cutting device will be reversed.

I desire to point out that, by individually suspending each self-contained coring device, Y

the convenience of operation is very greatly enhanced because the operator is enabled to move the cutting device around .within reasonable limits, to thereby center the cutting device at the desired point. Furthermore, by the use of the spring suspension7 the cutting device will be raised automati- Vcally as soon as it is released, so that the rate of manipulation canbe increased, and so that the operator may devote his attention to the preparation for the next coi-ing operation.

By the use of the features of invention herein disclosed, the core of the cabbage can be sliced without removing it from the body VWithin the gear and Y of the cabbage, or by the substitution of a suitably shaped cutting blade, the core may also be removed. In either case, however, the core will be sliced into an elongated helically sliced strip. `When the core is thus sliced and allowed to remain in the body of the cabbage, it may conveniently be used in the manufacture of the kraut, thereby materially increasing the amount of kraut which can be produced from a cabbage of given size.

Vhile I have herein used the term stationary in reference to the support of the cabbage, I do not thereby intend to limit myself to an arrangement in which the cabbage is itself physically stationary, but rather I use the term in reference to the relative condition of the cabbage as compared to the slicing machine. For example, the cabbage may be conveniently supported on a traveling belt, in which case the present machine may be readily used, because the spring suspension is flexible enough to allow the machine to be moved along with the cabbage during the interval of time necessary to effect the slicing operation. I also desire to point out the fact that the ring 5 and the rods G constitute a very eilicient protecting guard which will protect the operator from contact with dangerous moving parts. This will be understood from an examination of Fig. l, in which it will be seen that the blades l2 and 13 normally stand within the ring 6, and in such position that they cannot be readily reached or contacted by the operator.

I claim:

l. In a device of the class described, the combination of a centering frame, a plurality of pointed projections on the same for insertion into an article, a plurality of upstanding guide rods on said frame, a spider slidably mounted with respect to said guide rods, a driving shaft extending downwardly from said spider, a cutting device connected to said shaft, a spring interposed between the centering frame and the spider tending to raise the spider away from the frame, a motor, and a clutch device interposed between the motor and the shaft.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a centering frame, a plurality of pointed projections connected to the lower portion of the same, a plurality of upstanding guide rods connected to the upper portion of the centering frame, a spider slidably mounted on the said guide rods, a cutting device working through the central portion of the frame, a motor connected to the spider, and a clutch device interposed between the motor and the cutting device.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a centering frame, aplurality of pointed projections on the lower portion of the same, a plurality of upstanding guide rods connected to the upper portion of the centering frame, a spider slidably mounted on said guide rods, a motor connected to the spider, a cutting device working through the central portion of the centering frame, an operative connection from the motor to the cutting device, and a spring interposed between the spider and the centering frame tending to raise the spider and the motor away from the centering frame.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a centering frame, means for securing the same at a desired position on an article to be operated upon, a plurality of upstanding guide rods connected to the centering frame, a spider working on said guide rods, a motor connected to said spider, a cutting device working through the cen-v tering frame, an operative connection from the motor to the cutting device, and a spring tending to raise the spider and from the centering frame.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a centering frame, means for securing the same to a desired portion of an article to be operated upon, a motor, a sliding connection between the motor andthe centering frame, a cutting device working through the centering frame, an operative connection from the motor to the cutting device, and a spring interposed between the centering frame and the motor.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a centering frame, means for securing the same to a desired portion of an article to be operated upon, a motor, a cutting device working in alinement with the centering frame, an operative connection from the motor to said cutting device, a slidable connection between the motor and the centering frame, and a spring suspension for the motor normally holding the same at an elevation above the article to be operated upon.

7 In a device of the class described, the combination of a motor, said motor being movable in a vertical direction, means for normally maintaining the motor in raised position, a cutting device operatively connected to the motor, and a centering device movably connected to the motor, said centering device being movable with respect to the motor in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutting device.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a centering frame, means for securing the same to a desired portion of an article to be operated upon, a motor movable toward and from the" centering frame, a cutting device operatively connected to the motor and moving with the motor toward and from the centering frame, and a spring suspension for the motor normally holding the same at an elevation above the article to be operated upon.

motor away V 9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a motor, a cutting device operatively connected to the motor, the motor being freely movable in any desired direction, and the cutting device moving With the motor in such movements, and a spring suspension for the motor normally sustaining the same at an elevation above the article to be operated upon.

l0. In a device of the class described, the combination of a motor, a cutting device op- Copies of this patent may be obtained for eratively connected to the motor, the motor being free to move in any desired direction, and the cutting device moving with the motor in such movements, and a spring having one end connected to the motor, and the other end connected to a stationary part, for the purpose specied.

ANDREW L. REINER. Witnesses:

N. R. ELMSTROM, WILLIAM G. WonMLEY.

ive cents each, by addressing: the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

